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| BAKERSFIELD, CA (February 6, 2026) — When Famoso Dragstrip opened in 1954 the converted POSO airstrip was a place for hot rodders to flex their tuning skills and for racers to establish bragging rights. No one knew five years later that the track nicknamed “The Patch” would start one of the of most storied races in drag racing and motorsports history. In 1959 the first Smokers March Meet was contested and over the next nearly 70 years every significant racer or crew chief in drag racing history etched their name into the history books at Famoso Dragstrip. The track has held true to ¼ mile drag racing and burning nitro. When the use of nitro was banned in 1957 due to safety concerns regarding extreme engine explosions and high speeds, Famoso Dragstrip continued to push the envelope of speed and performance ignoring the ban which ended in 1964. In 1962 at 20 years old Don “The Snake” Prudhomme won the March Meet launching his career as one of the most significant drag racers of all-time. The multi-time Funny Car world champion built a Hall of Fame career over the next four decades but the early days at Famoso Dragstrip were pivotal to the success of his career. “The first time I was there, it was in 1959 and then in 1962 I was driving a fuel car for Zeuschel and Fuller and won the race,” said Prudhomme. “That was a big deal and people got to know me. You have to remember NHRA was not running nitro back then, so everybody wanted to run Nitro and you had to go to Bakersfield.” “It was at a different time, and the sport was a whole different deal than what it is today, you know. Bakersfield really put us on the map. That was great race to win,” added Prudhomme. “It’s great for people that have an interest in drag racing to go there and see what really happened in the early days. Cars are so much different now. Front engine dragsters and stuff that’s really the backbone of drag racing and you can see that at the March Meet.” NHRA Funny Car world champion and drag racing historian Jack Beckman has a lifetime of memories at Famoso Dragstrip. As a lifelong Californian Beckman’s roots at the March Meet include his uncle working on teams and spectating once he became a professional driver. The impact of the March Meet on spectators and racers cannot truly be quantified. “For as long as I have known, the March Meet was a big deal. It was a big deal in 1959, when one of my idols (and friend), Art Chrisman, outran another legend and friend, Tony Waters, to win the inaugural race,” said Beckman. “It was a big deal when Bob Muravez came out of a 20-year driving retirement to win Nostalgia Top Fuel, and it was a big deal the first time I participated. A lot has changed in the past 67 years, but a victory at Bakersfield today, holding that March Meet trophy in the Winner’s Circle is still a big deal!” Ron Capps, Funny Car world champion and March Meet champion, has a lifetime of experiences at Famoso Dragstrip. His family raced and watched the famed event his whole life. His passion for drag racing began before he was born. Ron Capps in March Meet winner’s circle, photo courtesy of Ron Capps Motorsports“I was in my mom’s belly at the March Meet,” said Capps. “It means everything. And as a fan, it’s so many great memories, from my brother and I and our family. Going up to that track later, and competing there, and not only competing there, competing in a Fuel Altered. Which was another legendary moment in drag racing, and so to go back there and compete and then win the event and have one of the March Meet trophies. It is right in the middle of all my trophies. It went right in the middle of all 77 of them. It means the world to me.” “I still tell people, if you’re going to pick one race to go to, one race period, you’ve got to attend the March Meet,” said Capps. “It is as close as you can get to old school racing. Also, Famoso Dragstrip is as good as any racetrack that we go down in our cars today, and you can see the vast history of the sport all in one shot. It’s got gassers, front engine dragsters, and nostalgia funny cars. It’s got it all. It’s everything to me.” The four-day event will highlight qualifying and then the qualified field will race for one of the most historic trophies in drag racing on Sunday, March 8. On Thursday, gates will open at 8 a.m. with a full morning of qualifying runs starting at 9 a.m. capped by Nitro competitors making their first test runs at 2 p.m. Friday will be another day of high-speed excitement with Nitro qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The final day of qualifying on Saturday will see gates opening at 8 a.m. with one more Nitro Funny Car qualifier and the continuation of qualifying for Top Fuel and Fuel Altered at 12:30 p.m. The first round of Funny Car eliminations commences at 3:30 p.m. with the final round of qualifying for Top Fuel and Fuel Altered. The day will be capped by jet dragster exhibition passes. The final day of the Good Vibrations March Meet is jam-packed with elimination rounds in Funny Car, Top Fuel, Fuel Altered, and all the Nostalgia classes. Gates will open at 8 a.m. and the cars will start flying down the track at 9 a.m. A special opening ceremony will set the tone for the day at 11 a.m. with the car show, swap meet and vendor row running all day for fans from across the country. Fans can buy single and multi-day tickets here. For additional information on racing or participating in the car show visit www.marchmeet.com or call 800-759-8679. Fans can also email marchmeet@famosodragstrip.com for all event information |
